A look at the Aztecs defense as San Diego State prepares for its season opener against Northern Arizona on Saturday (4 p.m.) at Qualcomm Stadium:

Defensive line

Head coach and defensive coordinator Rocky Long said before fall camp that the front seven of his team would be the strongest he has had here, and that’s coming off a season in which the Aztecs held opponents to a 3.7-yard rushing average.

Injuries at linebacker have tempered that, but the D-line starters have remained healthy, and they are a large and physical group, led by 6-foot-2, 290-pound senior end Dontrell Onuoha. Long wants players with big reach on the outside, so Jon Sanchez (6-2, 260) is at the other end, with Alex Barrett (6-3, 260) is in the middle.

Linebackers

The linebacking looked so strong at the end of spring drills, but that was before we knew that the centerpiece, Jake Fely, would require surgery to repair a ruptured disk in his neck.

Fely is out until at least midseason, and then Josh Gavert and Derek Largent were nicked by injuries that limited them to non-contact during fall camp. They’re cleared to play, but will their injuries nag them?

Long has committed to going to a 4-2-5 alignment, which takes away some of the surprise of the 3-3-5 defense that has defined the coach for years. Cody Galea, a former lineman, will be a linebacker playing at the line, so at least he’s not out of his element. However, his backup, Fred Melifonwu, is less comfortable at that spot.

Defensive backs

There’s a huge contrast between the cornerbacks and safeties. J.J. Whittaker has become very reliable as a man-to-man corner, and the guy on the other side, Damontae Kazee, is aggressive (sometimes too much so) and prone to big plays or some mistakes.

At least the corners have game experience. The three starters at safety – sophomore Malik Smith, sophomore transfer Na’im McGee, and redshirt freshman Trey Lomax – will all be seeing their first significant field time. Beaten far too often in practice for Long’s liking, this is will be the unit under the most scrutiny, and they could make or break how the season plays out.